Ventilating and heating apparatus for the cabin of a vehicle

Abstract

A motor vehicle has a heating and ventilating system for the cabin of the vehicle, including an air treatment zone arranged in front of the cabin, with a recirculating air inlet which passes air from the cabin back to the treatment zone. The floor of the cabin has a double wall defining a recirculating air duct within it, the recirculation air inlet being at the rear end of this duct, so that air can be recirculated from the back of the cabin to the treatment zone in the form of a moving air mattress under the floor. This mattress improves the insulation of the feet of the occupants from the outside atmosphere.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle having a cabin defining a rear region thereof and a floor of said cabin, the vehicle further including two doors and an apparatus for at least one function selected from heating, ventilating and air conditioning the cabin, said apparatus including: means defining an air treatment zone forward of the cabin; air treatment means in said treatment zone, air outlet means connecting said treatment zone with the cabin whereby to deliver treated air form the treatment zone into the cabin; and at least one inlet associated with said air treatment zone, for receiving recirculated air for admission into said zone, wherein the floor of the cabin comprises a double wall defining a recirculation duct within it corresponding to a substantial portion of the cabin floor area, said inlet means being arranged at said rear region of the cabin to bring the cabin into communication with said recirculation duct, whereby air can be recirculated in the form of a moving air mattress from said rear region to said treatment zone via the recirculation duct, wherein the air recirculation duct and said moving air mattress extend under all or nearly all of the cabin floor from vehicle door to vehicle door and from the front of the cabin floor to the rear of the cabin floor; the vehicle further including recirculation air adjusting means arranged at the downstream end of the recirculation duct, and an air outlet for evaluating air to outside the vehicle and associated with said adjusting means, whereby an adjustable fraction of the air flow in the recirculation duct can be admitted as recirculated air into the treatment zone with the remainder thereof being evacuated through said air outlet. 
     
     
       2. A vehicle having a cabin defining a rear region thereof and a floor of said cabin, the vehicle further including two doors and an apparatus for at least one function selected from heating, ventilating and air conditioning the cabin, said apparatus including: means defining an air treatment zone forward of the cabin; air treatment means in said treatment zone, air outlet means connecting said treatment zone with the cabin whereby to deliver treated air form the treatment zone into the cabin; and at least one inlet associated with said air treatment zone, for receiving recirculated air for admission into said zone, wherein the floor of the cabin comprises a double wall defining a recirculation duct within it corresponding to a substantial portion of the cabin floor area, said inlet means being arranged at said rear region of the cabin to bring the cabin into communication with said recirculation duct, whereby air can be recirculated in the form of a moving air mattress from said rear region to said treatment zone via the recirculation duct, wherein the air recirculation duct and said mattress occupy an area under all or nearly all of the cabin floor from vehicle door to vehicle door and from the front of the cabin floor to the rear of the cabin floor; the vehicle further including recirculation air adjusting means arranged at the downstream end of the recirculation duct, and an air outlet for evaluating air to outside the vehicle and associated with said adjusting means, whereby an adjustable fraction of the air flow in the recirculation duct can be admitted as recirculated air into the treatment zone with the remainder thereof being evacuated through said air outlet.